Advertising

Archives by Day

As WP's senior editor, I edit review and preview articles, attempt to keep up with the frantic pace of Rainier's news posts, and keep our reviewers on deadline, which is akin to herding cats. When I have a moment to myself and don't have my nose in a book, I like to play action/RPG, adventure and platforming games.

Advertising

'Mercenaries' (PS2/Xbox) - Screens

Mercenaries is set in North Korea in the near future, where a coup has plunged the troubled nation into chaos. An elite private military company, Executive Operations, has dispatched a mercenary to track down the “deck of 52” fugitive members of the old hardliner regime – before they can launch a nuclear attack. The nonstop action within Mercenaries is heightened by the integration of the Havok physics engine, making everything within the environment act and react as it would in real life.

In the game, players choose to be one of three mercenaries: an American ex-soldier, a British secret agent, or a Swedish bounty hunter. Each playable character has unique strengths and weaknesses that affects gameplay. For example, characters demonstrate increased expertise such as stealth, speed, or sniping allowing for unique interactions with the international factions, including China, North Korea, and the Russian Mafia. Players choose to make enemies or form alliances with these factions in order to obtain new vehicles and weaponry and unlock new bonus missions that are specific to each faction.

Players stock up on more than 30 different types of real-world weaponry including grenades, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and air strikes that are capable of demolishing an entire city block. Within the environment, characters gain access to more then 30 authentic ground and air vehicles, including helicopters, cars, jeeps, tanks and SUVs, that they use to travel throughout the world and accomplish their objectives. If you can see it you can steal it, use it, or blow it up.